The Wish App: Is It Legit Or A Scam?
We all fantasize about getting filthy rich so that one day, we could have the budget to buy everything our hearts desire. Unless you’re Bruce Wayne, you usually have to think before you spend. For most of us, that means living within a reasonable budget that factors in our income and bills. That way, we know exactly how much money we can spend in a given month. Wouldn’t it be great if you get all the fancy, high-priced premium items you want at a price that fits your modest budget? Then you could ride-in-style without breaking the bank. One reason high-priced goods cost so much is because they’re…well…expensive. Supply and demand means that a good product that everyone wants is just going to cost more. So, when you see great deals that seem too good to be true, sometimes they are. Is the Wish legit? Sure. Just don’t expect to pay $5 for $50 quality.
What Is Wish App?
Wish is a direct-to-consumer, online retailer based out of San Francisco, California. Wish sets itself apart from other shopping sites by offering a wide variety of heavily discounted products. It’s not uncommon to see between 60 and 85 percent “reductions” on many items advertised throughout the site. These low prices are what allow Wish to compete with online shopping juggernauts like Amazon and Ebay. Shopping is done primarily through the app.
What Do They Sell?
Wish is a conglomerate retailer, meaning they try to sell a little bit of everything. The categories range from accessories, baby, fashion, gadgets, hobbies, home decor, and others. Their two highest-selling categories are clothing and electronics.
How Are Items So Cheap?
The fact that they do not carry name-brand products is part of what makes Wish so cheap. Wish is also “factory direct.” Instead of making your purchase through a retailer, merchants sell items directly from the factory in China. This brings prices down by cutting out the middle man, who would otherwise get a significant cut. Buying off-brand from overseas will save you money. But remember that you’ll also take a hit on the quality of the goods.
Is It Safe To Shop On The App?
There’s always some inherent risk when shopping online. No system is perfect and a few hiccups are bound to happen. It doesn’t appear to be a systemic problem with Wish itself. It should be mentioned that your full name will be displayed on your profile for others to view. You can avoid this by not making a wish list to display, or by not giving product reviews. According to the privacy policy, Wish collects information in two ways:
- When customers sign up, Wish.com asks for name, email address, payment method information, shipping address, phone number, and social media account credentials.
- Wish.com automatically collects your computer’s IP address, location information (they say they ask for customer permission before obtaining specific GPS data), social network profile data, the browser you use, usage data meaning where you click, and how much time you spend on pages.
You can always do a phone number lookup on the business before you choose to buy from that particular merchant. This way, you can hunt for anything suspicious before making a payment.
Do I Need A Credit Card?
Yes. Wish does not accept third-party payment systems such as Google Pay, Venmo, or Paypal. That means you must pay for your items with a major credit card. This can add to the overall risk of using this online retailer.
How Fast Do Items Ship?
Not very fast at all according to most customer reviews. One of the main complaints about Wish are the obnoxiously long shipping times. While some customers got their items in a timely fashion, many didn’t receive what they ordered for more than a month. Shipping times seem to be all over the place. It’s best to just expect that you won’t receive your item for a while.
What Do Customer Reviews Say?
This is a reality Wish users have to face, the barrage of negative customer reviews. While many have a good shopping experience, there are many complaints having to do with customer support. According to the Better Business Bureau, Wish has received 1,725 customer complaints in the last three years, with 909 coming within the last twelve months. Here is a breakdown of customer complaints:
- Advertising/Sales: 109
- Billing/Collection: 218
- Delivery Issues: 382
- Warranty Problem: 25
- Problem With Product: 991
As we can see, an overwhelming majority of complaints have to do with the items themselves, most likely not being up to quality. This has to be taken with a grain of salt, as discounted products are naturally going to be cheaper in quality. Wish, being the middleman, wouldn’t have anything to do with creating the actual products. However, the amount of other complaints is still substantial for a relatively young business. You should consider this before you hand over any hard-earned money.
Is Wish Legit Or A Scam?
Wish is no more of a scam than any other business looking to profit from the service they provide. Those who claim they’ve been a Wish app scam most likely didn’t do their homework on the product they were purchasing. Wish does seem to make a strong effort to correct any problems that come up. However, the nature of the business means you’re not purchasing from large, reputable companies with a track record of excellent customer service. Like all things, you get what you pay for.
How To Get The Most Out Of The Wish App
- READ REVIEWS!: Did I mention you should read the customer reviews? You can save yourself a lot of time, heartache, and money by reading what other customers have already said about the product. It can’t be stressed enough how important this is. If 994 out of 1000 reviews say the product is no good, or it’s not at all what they expected, nobody but you can be blamed for your disappointment at receiving a crummy item.
- Expect Long Shipping Times: With Wish, it’s best to just order something and forget it. That way, when it comes next month, it will feel like a big surprise. Setting a chair up by the door and watching the delivery man will only lead to disappointment. Just let it come when it comes. It’ll feel better when it finally does. Remember, patience is a virtue.
- Buy Cheap, Expect Cheap: Realistic shoppers have to expect a drop in quality when they buy items at such a discount. A disproportionately large amount of complaints we saw had to do with items being subpar in terms of quality. A shirt you buy for $3 will most likely never be as good as a shirt you buy for $30.
So, is Wish legit or a scam? While the Wish app is certainly not the gold standard of online retail, it does seem to be a company looking to provide an honest service to its customers. You just need to be realistic about what you’re buying. Read what other customers have said about the product (and business) before you make your final purchase. And as always, buyer beware!
Originally Published On Grapevine On June 7, 2019.
